A Saiyan's Redemption
by Skyrimosity
Summary: When Trunks is targeted by Majin Buu during Vegeta's fateful battle, something snaps within the Saiyan Prince which frees him of Babidi and unleashes a newfound type of rage that fuels his power to new heights. Will this power be enough to defeat the greatest threat the Earth has ever faced? (Oneshot)


A Saiyan's Redemption:

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ

Vegeta lay on the ground, battered and beaten to a bloody pulp by the pink blob of a monster known as Majin Buu. He knew that the fight would not be easy but he had been a fool to presume that normal fighting tactics could work against his current opponent. Such power mixed with such a care-free personality; of course such a creature would have some ace in the hole that allowed it to survive. In this case, it seemed to be instant regeneration mixed with some kind of a lack of bodily organs that ensured the creature had survived his attacks. All of a sudden there was a reprieve from the beating; he had not known why but he welcomed it.

"Is he dead?" Whose voice was that? After a moment, it occurred to him. It was the voice of Kakarot's second brat. Had that boy interfered in the fight? He couldn't remember seeing or sensing anyone else; the pain had dulled his senses. He had always been sure to train his pain tolerance as that was a necessary part of being a warrior, embedded into him from an incredibly young age. Even so, the level of power that Buu possessed overwhelmed him. How pathetic. He felt like being dead. With his entire essence devoted to defeating the monster, he had not even come close. Briefly it occurred to him that these kids were very poor at sensing power levels. They thought he was dead and he wasn't even unconscious! It was just that even the idea of movement increased the pain so he stayed perfectly still.

"What a stupid question! It'll take a heck of a lot more than that to kill my dad!" Trunks! It was… Trunks. Why was Trunks here! Of course he should have suspected it if Kakarot's brat was here but it was far too dangerous here for Trunks. No… it was far too dangerous anywhere on this planet so long as that creature was alive. If only the child had known to stay away; what a fool his own son was. But he should hardly be surprised; his son was a Super Saiyan warrior after all. And at such a young age… of course the boy wanted a fight. But not this fight. No, not this one.

"But even so, it's not like he can keep fighting now can he?" Kakarot's brat was right. He had tried to fight Majin Buu on fair terms; he had used Babidi to unlock the deepest power held within him, a power that had managed a quality battle against Kakarot. Even so, he had not been able to defeat the monster in battle. No, it seemed that fighting was an impossibility for him now. It may have been impossible to defeat Buu in battle anyway, with his powers of regeneration. It was pointless. He had let the creature back into existence just to satisfy his pride, and now he had been soundly defeated by it. And Kakarot's first son had died. It… it was not supposed to be this way!

"Didn't you hear me? Clean the wax out of your ears and listen, okay! You know what my mom told me? She told me that my father, the man you see here, is the Prince of all Saiyans." Had it really been Bulma that told Trunks of his heritage and not himself? Briefly, he remembered the time when he was a very young child and his own father, King Vegeta, had sat him down and told him the entire history of their lineage. It was a lineage filled with strong, proud warriors that had triumphed on thousands of planets in innumerable battles against hundreds of species of foes. He could remember well the feeling of wonder learning that he was descended from such a group. How… how could he have not told his own son!

"Whah! He is?"

"You bet he is! My dad is amazing. I mean do you really think a Saiyan Prince would lose to that big pink blob?" Hearing the passion in his son's words filled him with a feeling that he could not entirely describe. The only thing he knew was that he could no longer lay motionless on the ground. He had to try to move. Only, when he did, there was such an incredible surge of pain that he could not follow through on the motion. He could tell his own breathing was labored as he attempted to move but his strength continued to fail him. Although, at this point, it really should not have been much surprise. Regardless, he managed to open his eyes. He had to be on the lookout for Buu. These brats… these kids were so strong, yet they had no idea of true battle.

"Dad! You're back!"

"Trunks…" is all he could find himself saying as he suddenly found the strength to sit back up, albeit with his son's aid. He could feel his strength returning slowly as the pain began to dissipate. There was such a look of excitement on his son's face and briefly he realized he had no idea why. He began attempting to feel for the pink monster's strength which only sent another surge of pain through him. After a brief second of utter agony, he refused to allow this to sideline him any longer. He pushed his son behind him.

"Where? Where did that monster go now?"

"I don't know, Dad. I kicked it to get it away from you and it's stayed away." There was laughter in his son's voice; poor child, Trunks truly had no idea the type of being they were up against. Vegeta realized with some hesitation that he had not originally either. He had never realized before how alike he and his son were; if it weren't for the child's need to get haircuts, he would have wondered if Trunks were full-blooded Saiyan. How different this Trunks was compared to that impostor from the future; to think, such an insolent brat as that had descended from him. That boy feared the androids, whose power at this point in time would be considered meager at best. And this boy, his true son, had been willing to attack a beast like Majin Buu. And it was all… all for him.

He had known that he would have to give his life to defeat Buu, but in that moment, Vegeta realized that it would take more than that. It would not be enough to merely be willing to fight until his death; no, it would be necessary to use every single ounce of energy in his entire body to obliterate the creature. He had been willing to die; perhaps, he had imagined that the two of them would go down as two great warriors, dealing the death blow to each other with the last vestiges of their strength before their death. Truly, he had been so damn naive. That was not an option anymore; to fight for even two more minutes would likely kill him. And unless Kakarot had been holding back much more than he suspected, it was unthinkable that even a warrior such as he could defeat Buu with a time limit. With Gohan already dead, it was clear that Buu would have free reign over the planet should he fail. And so, he wouldn't. Not this time.

"Trunks, take care of your mother." He felt calm, at peace with his own death. How different this felt from when he had been killed at the hands of Frieza. Had things truly changed so much? Could someone such as him, whose ambition had once been to gain immortality and rule the universe, actually be at peace with dying? Truly the Earth was a strange planet, unique from all the others he had terrorized in his time.

"Dad… why, why would you say that!"

"Who hurt Buu! Buu angry!" Vegeta had expected to see the monster off in the distance, slowly sulking toward them in some kind of ridiculous playful fashion. Instead, he found himself watching in utter shock as the blob's arm was extending toward them. Suddenly, it seemed as if time slowed down in front of him as he saw who the intended target of the attack was.

"What the..." he heard Trunks say, and before Vegeta could warn his progeny, the fist connected in a fierce uppercut to the boy's chin. Vegeta was gasping, speechless, as he watched the droplets of blood leave his son's mouth before the boy was sent flying into the air by the attack. He tried his best to move but found his body unresponsive. _Move! Move, damn it! MOVE! _But, for some reason, he remained incapable. He could not remember when he had last felt such a way; had it been against Frieza? Cell?

The arm quickened in its extension, grabbing onto Trunks's leg and yanking the boy back. Buu flew into the air, letting the arm retract towards him before letting go at the last second and using his belly to hit the child into the ground. As Trunks's body made contact with the earth, it left a small crater. Vegeta watched, speechless, as the monster extended its leg before dropping at incredible speeds toward the ground, delivering some kind of leg drop. For a few long seconds, dirt flew into the air from the strength of the seemingly casual attack.

"Uh oh! You hurt Buu, so Buu hurt you! But Buu hit hard, think he killed you. Wanted to eat you instead."

"Wh-what did…. What did he just say?" That monster… said 'killed'. No… no, it wasn't possible. It couldn't be. He wasn't going to let this happen. He had planned to finish the beast before it could do any more harm. Vegeta fell to his knees, face twitching, unable to form any real words. But it had happened anyway. He had failed.

Vegeta watched as Kakarot's brat rushed toward the impact crater, as he himself was incapable of movement. He tried to find the power of his son but there was nothing but a residual presence. _No, no, no, no, no. _The brat was completely ignoring the powerful monster, and even from there Vegeta could hear his crying. He held his breath entirely as he watched the boy go in.

"Noooooo! Trunks, Trunks! Come on! Wake up! You can't be dead! You can't! Please, wake up!" The boy's crying turned into struggled wailing.

Every ounce of energy drained from his body in an instant as it hit him. Trunks, his progeny, his bloodline, his successor, his… son. His son was dead. And a split second later, the thought hit him harder than any of the pink blob's punches.

_It's all my fault._ Vegeta knew that he was the one who had allowed Buu to be created, he was the one who had not done what was necessary at the beginning of the fight, when he had so much more strength. He was the one that his son had put himself in harms way to save. There was no conceivable way that this had been anyone's fault but his own.

_I… I am a failure!_ He hadn't been capable of defeating Kakarot, he hadn't been able to hold a candle to Frieza, he had gotten beaten handily by 18, and he had allowed Cell to reach his perfect form. Despite all of his training, the strongest opponents always seemed to outdo him. But this time, he had thought it would be different. He was more powerful than ever, more determined than ever. And now, he realized suddenly, more foolish than ever. Kakarot… Kakarot had been right after all in everything he said during their last fight. Perhaps the only other Saiyan was not nearly the fool Vegeta had always imagined.

As if he could get any weaker, he felt a sudden intense surge of pain in his head. After a second, he realized that it was that damn wizard's powers relinquishing whatever control they had over him, reducing the energy that Babidi had helped drawn out. He was no longer even able to maintain his Super Saiyan form. He could hardly find himself to care about that. What worth did that power have now, against a monster such as Buu? Even when he had entered the fight at nearly full strength he had not been able to inflict lasting damage. And now, with his own son dead…

'_His own son dead. Trunks… dead. His son Trunks dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead.' _The words played in his mind on repeat, like some kind of sick and twisted taunt. Suddenly the image of Bulma's face entered his mind, and all he could see was the woman crying. It was a loud, uncontrollable sob. Of course, Trunks had always been her 'baby boy'; and yet, the child seemed to constantly vie for his attention. Then, all of a sudden, the woman disappeared in a pink explosion.

'_Of course. That monster won't just kill warriors. It will kill everyone. It has no motive; it cannot be satisfied. It will kill and kill and kill until there's nothing left anymore. _

Vegeta had not noticed it but he realized that his eyes were stinging. He brought his hand up to his face, wiping his eyes and then looking at the glove. There was blood, and plenty of it, but there was also water. He realized then that tears were flowing freely down his face, for the first time since his death against Frieza. And yet, this felt so much worse. Against Frieza, he had pinned the entire hope of the Saiyan race on Kakarot, a last message so that the man would understand his heritage and avenge it. But this time, the tears were not for the Saiyan race; they were not for the fact that there was one less Super Saiyan. They were for the fact that his son had died.

"_My dad is amazing. I mean do you really think a Saiyan Prince would lose to that big pink blob!_" Such… such confidence in his son's words. Such belief. Pure trust. Innocence. And he had betrayed it completely by allowing such a horrid fate to befall his son.

"Buu bored! Who next? You?" The pink blob was talking toward Kakarot's… no, Goten. The child's name was Goten.

* * *

"_Hey Dad, I'm going to go hang out with Goten for a while, kay?" _

_Vegeta scoffed, not even bothering to halt his training for a second in response to his son's question. _

"_You're with that boy a lot." A frown was on his face. Vegeta could hardly think that his own son could possibly associate with a child of Kakarot's. Or, perhaps even worse, that he allowed it. _

"_Well duh, he's my best friend. And the only kid my age who I don't have to worry about accidentally killing." _

"_When I was your age, I was being sent to fight battles on planets across the galaxy. And here you are, befriending the enemy." _

"_How come you never tell me more about that? I bet it was so cool actually being able to fight!"_

"_Hah, ignorant brat." He had snapped, somewhat surprising even himself, in response to his son's question. But of course Trunks maintained a casual demeanor. _

"_The only thing I know is what Mom's told me. She told me about this time you were all on Namek looking for Dragon Balls, but that she thought you were an enemy back then. She said she wasn't around for any fighting though but that she knew you wanted immortality. Is that true?" _

"_Bah, that woman has no reason to talk of such matters." _

"_Were you scared, Dad?"_

_Vegeta laughed. "Hah, me, Prince of the Saiyans, scared? Of what?"_

"_Well, dying I guess. Why else would you want immortality?" _

"_Wouldn't you be scared?" Vegeta refused to answer Trunks's question. _

"_Hmph, well, I guess not really." _

_He couldn't help but laugh again at his son's ignorance. "Oh really, and why's that?"_

"_Because you're around, duh!" Vegeta stopped in his training momentarily at his son's words. _

"_You best get going." _

"_Alright, see ya Dad!" _

* * *

Vegeta felt his frustration rising as he lived through the memory, an unfamiliar type of pain filling him that did not feel at all like the typical pain of enduring punches, even those from overwhelming foes. The pink blob was about to attack Goten, and here he was, unable to do anything. Even if his son… well, it was still up to him to defeat Majin Buu. There was no one else who stood even the faintest chance against that monster.

Wait… monster?

* * *

_Vegeta was in the training room late in the night when he was surprised by the door opening. He turned to see Trunks, then a four-year old, with an obviously anxious expression on his face. In the back of his mind, Vegeta contemplated the ease with which the child entered into the room, which was currently at fifty times Earth gravity; an admittedly light workout for him but a level he should have expected his son to give in at._

"_You know better than to interrupt me." _

"_Sorry Dad. I just… well, umm… you know"_

"_For the sake of my time, speak child!" _

"_Okay! It's just… there's a monster in my closet!" _

_The words caught the Prince by surprise and, after a second of processing, could not help himself from letting out a hearty laugh, perhaps the first since the Cell Games. "Oh really. You, a Saiyan warrior, scared of the dark?"_

"_No, not the dark! A monster! W-wait, you think I'm a warrior?"_

"_Of course you are. All Saiyans are. And as my progeny you're of a superior class, at that." _

"_Oh, whatever. So, will you help me?"_

"_Of course not! If there should somehow be a beast hiding in your room, it is your duty as a Saiyan to seek out a battle with it."_

"_But what if it's super strong and beats me?"_

"_Hah, some Earth beast defeating the son of the Saiyan Prince? Oh please, unthinkable. Unforgivable." _

"_But what if..." _

"_I suppose if it were to happen, I might seek out the monster myself. Perhaps it'd entertain me with a fight." _

"_Ah, so you'll kill the monster? Thanks Dad!" The kid had a smile on his face, running back out of the room and slamming the door excitably. Vegeta simply scoffed and resumed his training. _

* * *

What a fool he was; what a fool he'd always been. Images of Trunks flashed through his mind, the moment Buu's punch connected with blood flying from his son's mouth on replay.

_No._ The single thought came from somewhere deep inside him, a place he could not recognize. He felt a power roaring to the surface in an instant.

"No." Vegeta rose to his feet, grinding his teeth together as he looked at the pink monstrosity. The distant sound of Goten's crying was once again in his ears. Vegeta had seen so much death throughout both his lifetimes but there was a certain innocence to the boy's crying; it reminded him so much of the innocence in his son's eyes. These kids were not meant to know battle, at least not yet. But he had failed his son.

"I… I will not fail again!" From within his very core, a surge of energy erupted like a volcano. He clinched his fists tightly, glaring at the monster. His Super Saiyan form activated practically automatically.

"Not this time!" No one else would be the hero; this was his mess, and he was going to be responsible for cleaning it up. He had to be the one.

"You KILLED MY SON!" Vegeta let out in a vicious roar, even more power emerging.

"And now… AND NOW..." the power would not stop; he could feel it bursting into the air all around him; he could hear sparks of lightning as well "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU MONSTER!"

Vegeta's body moved automatically; the only thing he did was hone in on his target. A split-second later, he was behind the monster. Without a single thought at all, his fist connected with the blob's large stomach. Moments later the beast was careening in a straight line through the air at significant speed. Vegeta flew after it, appearing above it and delivering a strong hammer fist to the beasts head, sending it down toward the ground where it impacted and left a large crater. Without hesitation he followed up his attack, charging the beast as it lay motionless and delivering a large number of punches and kicks all over its body, the whole time the crater deepened from the strength of the strikes. He then grabbed the monster's leg and threw it back into the air.

Raising one arm, Vegeta screamed as a large energy blast formed almost immediately that hit his opponent. He was under no illusion that it would kill a monster such as Buu but he began to devise a plan for something that might.

* * *

Piccolo couldn't believe his eyes. After he had killed Babidi, his attention had turned to the group of Vegeta, Goten, and Trunks. Even at full strength, he had been powerless to intervene when Buu had begun its attack of Trunks. Even when Goten was on the cusp of fighting, he had been hoping the young Super Saiyan would erupt in a fit of rage at the injuries of his friend and be able to overpower the monster; that seemed like a plausible enough option. As the seconds drew on, he had been starting to think that he would have to attack Buu himself if he wanted Goten to have a chance at surviving.

He had felt Vegeta's power level dropping rapidly, even from what it was following Buu's beatdown. The man had even lost his Super Saiyan status. Piccolo knew a hopeless situation when he saw it, and without Goku around, he figured this was pretty much a safe bet for an 'everyone dies' kind of battle. The man who called himself the Prince of All Saiyans was on his knees, mouth agape at the monstrosity he had let loose. Piccolo figured that he, at least, was a lost cause for sure. The man's pride had finally been destroyed by Buu and as such so was his spirit.

That's what he thought. But then, he saw Vegeta rise to his feet, a certain confidence once more about him. "I… I will not fail again!" Piccolo heard the Prince yell, thinking it to be merely false confidence brought about by the hopelessness of the situation. But then, Vegeta's power level began to skyrocket at a rate Piccolo was not sure he had ever witnessed. The Saiyan had maintained but a flicker of his usual power but that quickly changed into an inferno. It continued rising, rising, higher and higher. The Prince became a Super Saiyan, seemingly without doing anything, and it only continued to go up and up. The man yelled something else but Piccolo was so in-tune with sensing power that he was no longer listening. He couldn't keep his mouth shut as he continued to feel the rise.

Moments later, the Prince's power had risen above what it had been to start the fight before beginning to finally level out. Thinking that Vegeta would not be that much more capable, Piccolo was surprised to see Vegeta's speed in his newest attack against Buu. Vegeta had been willing to give in to Babidi to draw out more of his latent power; how was it that now, with the mark gone from the Prince's forehead, the man was able to surpass even that? He couldn't help but wonder why he even tried to understand Saiyan abilities.

When the blast hit Buu, Piccolo took the moment to fly down toward the Saiyan. The man had a fierce scowl on his face, looking in the direction of Buu who was likely regenerating from the hit. Goten and Trunks were not far away from their current position.

"Vegeta. If you had this much power, why did you need Babidi?"

"Is now the time for questions, Namekian?" Vegeta's head turned toward the kids; Piccolo was surprised to see a smile form on the man's face. A second after that, Trunks walked out of the crater, limping with a shoulder around Goten.

"H-hey Dad… did you beat him?"

"No Trunks, I haven't. But I will." The slight smile stayed on the man's face, an expression that Piccolo could say he was not used to seeing. "How badly are you hurt?" Piccolo was surprised at the question; Trunks even stopped walking for a second with a strange look on his face as well.

"It hurts but it'll take a lot more than that to keep me down!" The boy's enthusiasm apparently did not sit well with his battered body, as he coughed and out come multiple drops of blood. A fierce scowl returned to Vegeta's face.

"That monster has drawn the blood of my son. Namekian… Piccolo, get Goten and Trunks out of here." Piccolo was surprised briefly at hearing his name from the Saiyan's mouth. It sounded strange coming from him.

"Wait, Dad, you think you can actually win?"

"Hah! What a question! Of course I can. I have to."

"I think… I understand what Vegeta is going to do. Let's go kids; it won't be safe here."

"No way! I can't leave now, I can still fight!"

"If Trunks wants to stay, then so do I!"

Piccolo wondered how the Prince would react to the dissent. A smirk was once again on the man's face.

"I understand, Trunks. You are a Saiyan, after all." There was a strange calmness, almost a serenity, to the man's voice. It made him uneasy. "From the day you were born, Son, I've never hugged you. I will hug you now." Vegeta walked toward his son, who was standing still with a positively shocked look on your face. Ignoring the strangeness of it all, Piccolo could see the gears of thought spinning in the boy's eyes. Trunks was a smart kid and it would not take much longer for him to understand Vegeta's plan, in all likelihood. Vegeta was undoubtedly using this as a way to get close and have the boy be unguarded, ensuring an easy knockout. It really was the only way to assure Trunks's safety.

"Dad… stop, this is embarrassing."

"I'm proud of you, Trunks." The boy looked up into his father's face, a certain kind of reverence easily visible. Pride was not something the Saiyan Prince took lightly; no, it could easily be said pride was the thing that made the man such an ardent warrior. There was no doubt in Piccolo's mind that Trunks had never heard before that his father had pride in him. "You are a true Saiyan. But this fight is not for you, you're not ready. Leave."

"Huh? No, you can't make me do that! I saw what happened earlier; you can't beat him alone, Dad! Please!" There were tears in the boy's eyes, and a look of calm in Vegeta's as he looked into the face of his child.

"I shall not make you." That statement was a surprise to Piccolo for sure. "But, if you die, you will not be going to the same place as me. Isn't that right, Piccolo?"

"Yes; after all you've done, it's safe to say that you and Trunks would have different destinations." Piccolo liked to be straightforward but it seemed like a bad idea to mention that Vegeta would be going to Hell in front of his son, even if Trunks was smart enough to figure that much out from his words.

"But Dad, I don't understand!"

Vegeta looked up toward the sky. "I've killed many people. I've taken joy from it. And I feel no regret. There will be nothing positive waiting for me in the afterlife."

"D-does that mean… no! No! No! You can't! You can't do this! Please Dad! Don't!" The boy was bawling, and Piccolo found it surprisingly difficult to watch. To imagine, a child of such impressive power and typical reserve brought to passionate crying. The boy truly must have had a close bond with Vegeta. He could not help but remember the psychopathic bastard that had first arrived on Earth; it seemed impossible that the two were the same person.

* * *

Vegeta's feelings toward his actions did not change at his son's tears. If anything, it only strengthened his resolve. "You may stay." The pathetic noises stopped. "But do not try to stop me. I am Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans. Your father." A smirk rose to his face at the look of pure admiration on his son's face. "I have a plan, and this damn monster **will **no longer threaten anyone." He could feel the blob's ki rising higher than ever, likely in anger after fully regenerating from his last attack. He pushed Trunks softly to the side, the boy resisting slightly but seeming to finally accept his decision. Vegeta flew into the air, quickly identifying where the monster was regenerating. It had nearly completed the process but he figured there would be time.

He extended his arms fully in front of his chest, his hands opened outward. He began gathering all of his ki between his hands, drawing out every ounce of power throughout his body. He started to scream as all of his muscles strained, and then suddenly, there was a cackling bright energy in front of him. He knew this was not enough; he called deeper upon his reserves, ensuring that nothing would possibly go to waste once he met his demise. The light expanded, reaching out past the side of his hands. Lightning crackled from it, the intensely dense area of energy packed with enough power to rip directly through a planet as if it were nothing. Vegeta felt his arms pop, his muscles tearing, and both his shoulders pop out of place. Yet, he continued to channel everything into the attack. He was breathing heavily, but he kept his eyes on the monster. Just a few more seconds…

"Dad!" The boy had disobeyed him, and flew beside him. Even in the face of everything else, he couldn't stop himself from scowling. If the boy could only just listen to him… at least this once. " I watched you practice this technique! I can do it!" He saw from the side of his eye as the boy screamed, bursting into an angry gold as blood stained his face. Trunks's hands mimicked his own, and within seconds, there was a dense light between them. Vegeta's scowl turned into a smile, despite the intense pain coursing through his entire body. Surely there was enough energy between them for the attack to work.

"FINAL!" The father-son duo yelled simultaneously, dense energy crackling with power in front of them, albeit with Vegeta's far surpassing that of Trunks. "FLASH!" The attack was launched forward, combining not far from their hands into a singular technique. The beam of energy was massive, electricity continuing to be discharged from the sheer intensity of it all. Though they were in the air, the ground below was carved away from mere proximity, forming a canyon as it advanced toward its target, so powerful indeed that even as it hit Buu it continued forward, taking the greatest threat to Earth's peace and dragging it as if it were of no importance.

Vegeta smiled slightly as he saw the attack hit the pink monstrosity. Sweat poured from every pore on his body, likely from the great effort of maintaining connection and control with the attack. Plus, of course, the overwhelming pain. He saw Trunks' aura fade, his Super Saiyan form fading as the boy lost his connection with the attack. Vegeta felt an immense surge of pride in the fact that his son had taken such a beating and remained willing to fight. But now, it was all up to him.

He had no more energy reserves to call upon. There was nothing. And so it was now that he focused on converting that nothing into energy. With the fiercest scream he was certain he had ever unleashed, he dug into his very life force to find the necessary amounts. He could feel his internal organs being ripped to shreds as he continued to summon more, and after a few moments, he was certain he had done everything he could.

_To think that I, the proud Prince Vegeta, would ever sacrifice myself. Don't think this is for you, you miserable planet. I do this for you, Bulma. And you of course, Trunks. And yes, even you Kakarot." _

The fleeting images of the only people left alive that meant anything at all to him somehow brought forth a few more ounces of strength. With a great heave, the Saiyan Prince lifted his hands upward. Moments later, the attack followed suit, racing upward and ending its great damage done to the planet. The Prince only had one eye opened as he watched his greatest attack be directed toward the vastness of space. He smiled slightly, before dropping out of the sky.

* * *

Piccolo watched the attack with his mouth agape, uncertain if he should be worried about the destruction of Earth before Vegeta somehow managed to redirect it. Immediately afterwards, with the attack still heading into space, the proud Prince and his son both collapsed out of the sky. He could sense their powers still; or rather, he could sense Trunks's small remaining reserves of power and could sense the total emptiness of Vegeta. He knew then and there, with no need for any confirmation, that Vegeta was dead.

"Trunks!" Piccolo was too in awe of the Saiyan Prince's sacrifice to bother rolling his eyes at the miserable sensing abilities of Goku's second-born.

"He is alive." He said, before the boy even had time to start racing toward him. Goten breathed a sigh of relief.

"Does that mean Vegeta..." Piccolo frowned at the question.

"No. Vegeta is dead. He gave his life to defeat Buu, and there is not even a single ounce of power left anywhere within his body."

The two of them flew quickly to Trunks, who was passed out on the ground. Piccolo heard some sniveling from Goten beside him.

"Mr. Vegeta really… he really… killed himself to save us?"

"Yeah." He didn't know if he was expected to say something else to the half-breed. What else could one say? They had just witnessed one of the greatest warriors in the history of the universe whom had once striven for immortality give everything in one final moment, succumbing to death to protect the last things the man had ever truly found dear. It felt almost disrespectful to talk at the moment. Piccolo looked down at the two of them, Trunks with an angry scowl across his face while Vegeta had a smile. It was sad that the man seemed happier and more peaceful at the time of his death than at any point in his life. Suddenly the battered half-saiyan coughed, opening his eyes.

"Did… did we do it?"

"Trunks, your dad! He's..."

"I know Goten." There was acceptance in the boy's voice, a bit of a surprise for a boy with some amount of human in him. Humans were always prone to extreme emotion. And half-saiyans were hardly different; Gohan was proof of that. There were clearly many more of Vegeta's genetics than his Saiyan race present in the boy. "Did we do it?"

Piccolo took a moment's pause, looking up toward space. He sensed as far out as he could and easily picked up the massive energy of the attack even as it was already far away from Planet Earth. Even in a situation such as this, he would deliver the truth, no matter if it was anything the children might want to hear. Try as he might, however, he could pick up nothing of Buu.

"Vegeta was truly a genius of battle. He knew fully well that there was a chance his attack would not kill Buu. From here, I can't sense the monster. Even if the attack somehow did not destroy Buu, it was of such immense strength that it will travel throughout space until the energy dissipates. There is no way, from what we've seen, that Buu could have held together completely. If that monster lives, his body will have been ripped apart and pieces of it will be floating throughout the cold void of space for the entire length of the attack. I think it's safe to say that, in the worst case scenario, Vegeta will have bought us years. We have time to train, to think of alternate solutions. And that is, of course, only if it somehow survived.

Tears welled up in Trunks's eyes, as Piccolo watched the half-saiyan struggle to wipe them away with his elbow. He didn't know if the boy had been that battered by Buu's earlier attack or if he really put that much energy into the final attack. After taking such a beating from such an overwhelming foe, it must have taken an extraordinary amount of effort to contribute as much as he did.

"We did it Dad." Trunks smiled, looking toward the sky instead of at the nearby body. "I don't care what you've done before. Mom and I are going to find the Dragon Balls and bring you back to life. I'll only stop if they kill me."

Goten piped up. "Don't worry Trunks! I'll help ya! Mr. Vegeta can't be a bad guy, not after what he did!"

Piccolo felt himself smirk ever so slightly. The boys were, perhaps, filled with more of a warrior spirit than he had imagined up to this point. Maybe it was possible the Prince had finally imprinted that value upon them.

* * *

A/N: So, this was originally a Father's Day fic. Sadly, I didn't get it finished in time. I was going to shelve the whole thing since it kind of missed that holiday, but I kept coming back to it and working on it a bit at a time. I wanted to imagine an ending to the Buu Saga (which, had it happened here, would have admittedly been short) in which Vegeta's Final Sacrifice was successful. I want everyone to try to enjoy this one-shot for what it is, and to not worry too much about the things that wouldn't have happened if it had ended like this (SSJ3, Vegito, and Gotenks, all fan favorites).

Why didn't Vegeta knock out Trunks? His viewing of Trunks getting injured made him more appreciative of his son along with the purer energy of an SSJ2 that he unlocked for himself combined to make him not take that route.

I just love Vegeta and Trunks so it was a joy to write about them. I hope to some extent this story feels like a somewhat plausible happening and that the characters feel right. I have another story featuring them as the main duo (which would NOT be a one-shot) in the works but it's unlikely anything ever comes of it.

I hope everyone who read this story enjoyed it. Please feel free to favorite and review!


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